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Starkville’s Water Loss Rates Raise Concerns

News Summary

Starkville Utilities’ internal audit reveals a startling 19% water loss, equating to millions of gallons daily. The audit emphasizes the urgent need for improved metering and leak management as officials propose solutions to mitigate future losses.

Starkville Faces Water Loss Challenges in New Audit

Residents of Starkville might want to sit down with a glass of water as they absorb some eye-opening news. An internal audit conducted by Starkville Utilities reveals a staggering 19% water loss largely due to small leaks and metering issues. To put that into perspective, that’s a whole lot of water going down the drain, quite literally!

What the Audit Uncovered

The audit, presented by the general manager for Starkville Utilities, Edward Kemp, uncovers that in both 2023 and 2024, around 45% of the water intended for customers has ended up lost. Given that Starkville Utility is currently providing about 6 million gallons of water each day, this translates to a daily loss of approximately 2.7 million gallons. That’s equal to the volume of four Olympic-sized swimming pools!

Breaking Down the Losses

Delving deeper, the audit found that about 7% of the water loss could be attributed to inaccurate readings from their wells. This means the utility thought it was removing more water than it actually was! It looks like the water department has some explaining to do as historical usage evaluations offered little clarity on why the water loss is so high.

A majority of this water loss, called non-revenue water, indicates that it is either leaking through pipes or being used for maintenance activities like flushing tanks. A pause on neighborhood pipe replacements has contributed to the problem, primarily due to budget constraints. However, leaders are now emphasizing the need to resume these efforts to minimize future water loss.

A Focus on Solutions

The audit kicked off back in March 2024 and has pinpointed six specific areas contributing to the leakages. Notably, it appears that Starkville Utilities is sending out less water than what its meters show, with an average overcount of 6.9%. This discrepancy suggests that the utility is keen on reviewing its metering and billing processes to correct these issues.

Innovative solutions are being put on the table, including a four-day training seminar with Honeywell to enhance the utility’s automated monitoring systems. Plus, the utility is looking to hire a data analyst who will focus on overseeing live feeds and databases. This new role could prove vital in catching discrepancies as they occur, before they snowball into larger issues.

Meter Management and Corrective Actions

To tackle the metering problems, there are proposals to create a dedicated meter repair department and bring new meter technicians on board. These professionals will expedite replacements and repairs to bring Starkville’s water management back in line. So far, Starkville Utilities has replaced 4- and 6-inch meters, and plans are underway to start replacing 2-inch meters in the next one to two years.

Community Support and Moving Forward

Mayor Lynn Spruill certainly has her eyes on the progress as she praises Starkville Utilities for their diligence in addressing the discrepancies in their water management practices. The audit results showed that Starkville’s non-revenue water loss falls on the higher end of the industry standard, which typically ranges from 10% to 20%.

As Starkville grapples with the challenges brought forth in this audit, residents can take heart in knowing that efforts are underway to mend leaks, improve metering accuracy, and ultimately conserve water better. With community support, Starkville might soon say goodbye to the pesky water loss and drink to a brighter future!